Difference Between Artery and Vein

Main Difference

There are several types of blood vessels which make up the transportation system in a living body. Veins, arteries, capillaries are such blood vessels through which blood transportation takes place, and the exchange of other materials also happens through this. These blood vessels are designated to transport specific blood within the body, means, they can be mainly differentiated on the basis of blood they transport that whether it is oxygenated blood or deoxygenated blood. The blood flow of arteries and veins revolves around the heart; they can be mainly differentiated as arteries are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body. On the other hand, veins are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart.

Comparison Chart

Artery

Vein

Function

Transports oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body.

Transports deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart.

Types

Pulmonary arteries and systemic arteries.

Superficial veins, deep veins, systematic veins, and pulmonary veins.

Thickness

More

Less

Present

Deep in the skin.

Closer to the Skin.

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What is Artery?

Arteries are the thick elastic blood capillaries that are held responsible for the transportation of oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body. Arteries are mainly of two types, pulmonary arteries, and systemic arteries. The systematic arteries carry the oxygenated blood as it transports the blood from the heart to periphery, whereas pulmonary arteries are the arteries which carry deoxygenated blood as they further proceed to lungs for purification. The wall of the artery is composed of three layers. Therefore it is thick than the veins. With the extra thickness and elasticity in walls, arteries are designed in a manner that they can handle the high-pressure flow of the blood. The arteries, which generally carries the oxygenated blood from the heart, expect the pulmonary artery, gets further divide into smaller and thinner vessels called arterioles. Tunica Interna, tunica media, and tunica externia are the three layers which make up the wall of the arteries. Out of them all, tunica media is the thickest layer.

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What is Vein?

Veins are the blood capillaries that are held responsible for the transportation of deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart. The deoxygenated blood from the periphery is carried to the heart to get purified. Mainly there are four types of veins; superficial veins, deep veins, systematic veins and pulmonary veins. All of the three types of arteries transport the deoxygenated blood except the pulmonary vein, which carries the oxygenated blood. Veins have thin walls as compared to the arteries, and they are located closer to the skin. Their semilunar valves in veins prevent blood from flowing in the opposite direction. With our naked eye, we can not locate the arteries in the body as they are located deeper in the skin, although we can locate the veins, which are present closer to the skin. It can be further exemplified as the injections are either injected in mass or veins as the latter can be easily located than the other blood capillaries in the loving body.

Artery vs. Vein

Arteries are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body, on the other hand, veins are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart.

Arteries have thicker walls than the veins.

With our naked eye, we can not locate the arteries in the body as they are located deeper in the skin, although we can locate the veins, which are present closer to the skin.

The vein is a capacitance vessel, whereas artery is a resistance vessel.

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Comparison Video

Janet White is a writer and blogger for Difference Wiki since 2015. She has a master's degree in science and medical journalism from Boston University. Apart from work, she enjoys exercising, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. Connect with her on Twitter @Janet__White